Method of producing asphalt



June 11, 1935. c MQRRELL 2,004,210

METHOD OF PRODUCING ASPHALT Filed Nov. 25, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l c/acgue C. Nor-re 22 BY AMZ {QM/Q1 June 11, 1935. c LL 2,004,210 v METHOD OF PRODUCING ASPHALT il d Nov- 25. 1929 3 Sheets-Shet 2 fi /wave lNVENTOR dacgue C. Nor/"e Z] ATTORN Y June 11, 1935. J. cl MO IR ELL 2,004,210 METHOD OF PRODUCINGASPHALT I Filed Nov. 25, 1929" 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 dacgue C. Mar/"e ZZ Patented June 11, 1935 PATENT OFFICE 2,004,210 METHOD OFJBODUCING ASPHALT Jacque C. Morrell, Chicago, l ll assignor to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of South Dakota Application November. 25, 1929, Serial No 409,434 2 Claims. (01. ice-74) This invention relates to a process for the.

manufacture of asphalts from cracked residues andrefers more particularly to the manufacture of asphalts from so-called cracked residues produced by flashing of unvaporized oil from a cracking system. i 3

Many attempts have been made to produce satisfactory asphalts from cracked residuesbut Owing to the nature of these materials, especially those having any substantial amount of suspend ed carbon, little success has rewarded these efforts. In general, the ordinary cracked residues are quite dirty; that is, contain considerable amounts ofsuspended carbon and otherwise do notlend themselves readily to the production of agood grade of asphalt.

However, in one process in wide commercial use, the residue from the pressure reaction zone is withdrawn very quickly andby reductionin pressure a lighter constituent thereof is flashed off leaving a heavy tar which is relatively clean andfreefrom carbon. This residuum constitutes a good material for'asphalt manufacture. The principal object of my invention is toprovide a process and apparatus whereby this heavy residuum may be converted into a good grade of asphalt suitable for paving, roofing and other purposes. I have found that if I supply additional heat to the flashed residuum, and in some cases introduce a gas suchas uncondensable gas from-the process, or an oxidizing agent such as air, that'I can produce asphalts of varying characteristics, depending upon the nature of the raw material, and also upon the method of treatment. 3

Various types of apparatus may be employed in carrying out my process and I have shown some satisfactory structures in the three figures accompanying this description. Figs. 1 and 2 show the preferred form of apparatus, and Fig. 3 a modified from of apparatus suitable to carry out my invention. It will be understood that these figures are merely diagrammatic and that they are in no sense to be taken as limiting upon the invention.

Referring now toFigs. 1 and 2 oil to be cracked is supplied by means of hot oil pump l and line 2 to the heating coil 3 located in furnace 4..

to final condenser l3.

pass out through line H controlled by valve l2 The condensate and noncondensable gas pass through line H to receiver I5. The gas may be released through line "i and valve ll; whilethe condensate may bewithdrawn through line l8 and valve [9. A portion of the condensate may be returnedto dephlegmator Ill through valves 29, pump 2| and line 22 to facilitate fractionation Unvaporized oil in reaction chamber 1 will be withdrawnthrough line 23 and valves 24 to flash chamber 25A. It i will be understood that a material pressure reduction will take place between reaction chamber 1 and flash chamber 25A to facilitate vaporization of the lighter constituents of the residuum.

'F'lashchamber 25A'constitutes the upper secplied to the flash dephlegmator 28 by means of pump 35, line 36 controlled by valve 31. The

preheatedravvoil together with the condensate formed in flash dephlegmator 28 passes:out

through line 38 and by means of pump 39 valve 40 and line 4| is forced into dephlegmator ID of the cracking system. The combined feed consisting of raw oil and reflux condensate is removed-from dephlegmator I0 through line 42 by 1 means of hot oil pump I' and passes through the heating coil 3 as already described.

If desiredga portion of the raw oil may be supplied directly to a heating coil 3 by manipulation of lIvalves 31, 43, 44, and 40'; valve 43 being partially opened, whichwill cause a portion of the oil to flow through line 43' into line 2 and thence direct to the tubes 3, or a portion of it may be supplied directly to dephlegmator. II] by manipulation of the valves 31, 43 and 44 or other combinations of feed may be employed.

The residuum entering flash chamber 25A will have flashed off from it a substantial quantity of lighter oils leaving aheavy residue which will be at a fairly high temperature. It will, however, not be sufiiciently hot to permit the production of a satisfactory asphalt and accordingly I provide a means for heating this residue outside of chamber 25. This is done by withdrawing the residual oil through line 45, pump 46 to coil 41 located in furnace 48. This furnace may be heated by burners 49, or the coil 41 may be located in the flue gases from furnace 4. The heated residual oil will pass out through coil 41, line 50 and be returned to the bottom section 25B of chamber 25. In certain cases where one passage is not sufiicient to heat the residual oil to the proper degree, as especially in starting the operation, the heated residuum may be withdrawn through line 5 I, controlled by valve 52, and circulated as many times as required to obtain the desired results. the proper characteristics, it may become advisable to introduce into chamber, 253 a fixed gas or steam. For the former, the non-condensable gas from the system may be employed and it may be withdrawn from receiver [5 through line I6 and valves H and 53 in line 16 (valve 54 being closed) and injected through a spray coil (not shown) located beneath the surface of the material being treated in the bottom chamber 253. If it is desired to employ other fixed gas such as air; especially for oxidizing eifect, it may be introduced through valve 54 (valve 53 being closed). Steam may also be introduced through valves 53 and 53 or through valve 54, in accordance'wit the results to be obtained.

In any event such vaporization as may take place in the section 25B will be provided for by allowing the vapors and/or gas to escape therefrom to section 25A through line 55. The finished asphalt may be withdrawn through line 56 controlled by valve 51. Although the temperature conditions will vary with the material being treated and the product desired as well as with other factors of the process, temperatures or" from 750 to 825- F; will generally be found satisfactory for the production of asphalt according to my invention.

It will thus be seen that I have devised a method whereby it is possible to get any high degree of flexibility enabling me to make asphalts of varying characteristics depending upon the demand for the respective commodities. Referring now particularly to Fig. 3, which shows chamber 25 in amodified; form, the flashed residuum enters chamber 25 through line 23 and valve 24, the vapors passing out through line 26.

The'unvaporized oil from the bottom of cham ber 25 is withdrawn through line 45 and by means of pump 46, passes through a heating coil 4].

This coil is located in a furnace 48 of any suitable The heated residual oil is returned much as desired through heating coil 41. As in Fig. 2, air, steam or uncondensable gas may be passed through the oil in the bottom of chamber 25 through lines l6 and 54' controlled by 53 and In order to obtain asphalt of 54 respectively and the finished product withdrawn through line 56 and valve 51.

. As an example of the operation of my process, a 20 A. P. I. gravity mid-continent reduced crude oil was processed in the cracking unit, with a transfer temperature of 900 F., maintaining 200 pounds pressure on the receiving drum. The flashed residuum normally obtainable by operating the cracking unit without the conversion of the flashed residuum to asphalt showed by test on the former; 12 A. P. I. gravity and a viscosity of 350 Saybolt Furol seconds and approximately fortypercent of residuum was made. Approximately fifty-five percent of distillate containing ninety percent of gasoline was made in the same operation.

The temperature of the residuum in the flash chamber when operating in this manner was approximately 550 F. By employing my process for the conversion of this material to asphalt this temperature was raised to approximately 775 F. and oxidizing with a small quantity of. air. The characteristics of one sample of asphalt made. by my process showed a penetration at 77 F. of 81, flash point of 550 F., a ductility of 33 cm., solubility in carbon tetrachloride 99.5% which meets the regular specifications for paving asphalts and macadamized roads, etc. 3

If it is desired that a lower penetration and higher melt point and lower ductility asphalt be made, this is simply a question of heating the residue in the heating coil to a higher temperature.

I may vary the operating conditions of my process such as temperatures and pressures over a wide range, thus enabling me to obtain products conforming to various specifications.

The example given is purely illustrative and is not to be construed in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of producing asphaltfrom the unvaporized oil formed, in the pressure-zone of an oil cracking systemwhich comprises removing said unvaporized oil from the pressure zone and passing the same without substantial heat lossto a zone of pressure reduction wherein vaporization takes place by the latent heat of said .oil, separately removing vapors and residuum from said zone of pressure reduction, circulating said residuum in a cycle through a heating zone and an independent vapor separating zone, and continuing such circulation of said residuum between the heating zone and the independent vapor separating zone until the same has been reduced to an asphaltic condition. 1 1

2. A process as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that the reduction of said residuum to an asphaltic condition is facilitated by thepintroducton of gas to said independent zone. H,

JACQUE Q. MORRELL; 

